It’s no shock that Millennials have gotten a bad rap. They’ve been called everything from lazy, to entitled, to killers of restaurant chains or worse. What is shocking though is the most recent statistic from the New York Federal Reserve Consumer Credit Panel who reported that debt among 19 to 29-year-old Americans exceeded $1 trillion at the end of 2018.

It’s been more than a decade since young Americans faced debt
levels this high. And while this comes as no surprise, student loans make up
the majority of this debt. In fact, since 2009, mortgage debt increased 3.2%
while student loans increased 102%.

When it comes to millennials, preconceived notions of spending
habits cloud the fact that those under the age of 35 have reduced spending
compared with previous generations as a result of this crushing debt. The
belief that you need to work hard to get ahead has failed them, leaving them to
feel that they must work 10x harder just to keep their heads above water. Put
simply, millennials and Gen Z-ers have faced some of the toughest job conditions
and cost of living increases. As a result, they are feeling the destructive
impact of economic, work-related and sociopolitical factors in ways other
generations aren’t.

The destructive impact is what I call Cultural Stress, or the
stress of modern day living. It has a uniquely powerful impact on millennials
and Generation Z because of the immense pressure they’re under. The more
tumultuous and unstable life is, the greater the impact which can have the
following side effects:

The reality of millennials and Gen Z is still only trickling into
public awareness. Tackling the crippling student debt crisis may not be in your
immediate power, but how you deal with the stressors it causes is.

Fix your
diet – Simple lifestyle modifications can lead to significant changes
at the molecular level that result in cells or even entire bodies acting and
behaving much younger than their biological age. One such modification is cellular
hydration from the inside out, which also happens to make us less susceptible
to the physical effects of Cultural Stress. We’ve all heard of drinking 8
glasses of water a day, but this often doesn’t translate over to the food we
consume. Instead of drinking your water, eat your water. Consuming veggies and
fruits with high water content allows our body to absorb water more slowly because it is trapped in the structure of these
foods. That slow absorption means that water in food stays in our bodies
longer, with a multitude of additional benefits.

Take a digital detox – The 40-hour work week is dead and there’s little we can do about that as we try to make ends meet. But what we can control is how we choose to spend our free time. Instead of catching up on your newsfeed, catch up with your friends and family in person instead. If you can’t leave work at the office, find a balance that allows you to give whatever you’re doing or whoever you’re with 100% of your time and attention.

Prioritize
self-care – When you’re juggling a million needs, your personal needs tend
to fall on the end of the priority spectrum. As the age-old saying goes, ‘You
can’t pour from an empty cup,’ you must learn to take care of yourself first.
From physical care to your mental wellbeing, what works for one won’t work for
all. It’s important to try different things and come up with your own approach.
For many, this can mean getting an hour of extra sleep, taking walks in nature,
journaling, etc.

Channel your
inner toddler – Once upon a time you who didn’t care about society’s
unreasonable expectations and demands. You were free to pursue your dreams without
fear and without comparing yourself to others. Toddlers are spontaneous and
carefree; they don’t doubt or worry. We should all work to be that daring,
creative, and inquisitive.

Bring some positive psychology into your life – Positive self-talk generates positive emotions. And positive emotions reduce stress and result in profound effects on overall wellbeing and physical health. To help reduce the effects of Cultural Stress, I created 11 positive affirmation cards for my patients to read twice a day. As a result, these daily affirmations have been clinically shown to lower perceived stress, blood pressure, and heart rate in study participants.

You have no control over the cards that are dealt to you, but you
do have control of making the best of them. We are each born with a unique
commodity called life. It may be stressed by society and things like technology,
but it is up to us to make the best of it.

For more insights into greater health and happiness visit
www.drhowardmurad.com

Dr. Howard Murad is the founder of the innovative skincare company Murad, Inc. and is largely recognized as The Father of Modern Wellness based on his years of expertise as a board-certified dermatologist and pharmacist whose holistic health approach recognizes the mind/body/skin connection in living a healthier, happier life – at any age. Dr. Murad’s ability to “connect the dots” linking cellular hydration, nutrition, joyful exercise, creative expression, reducing “Cultural Stress,” and efficacious skincare, are unique contributions to Modern Wellness and Inclusive Health. Dr. Murad’s mission is to teach people how to manage cultural stress through a comprehensive treatment plan he describes in his published books and online at www.drhowardmurad.com.

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